Retired Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and their families protested on Monday at Jantar Mantar against the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026 proposed by the government, even as opposition parties objected to its introduction in Parliament.
The Ex-All Paramilitary Alliance Welfare Association, an umbrella body for retired armed forces personnel, has also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging reconsideration of the legislation.
“In our memorandum, we have requested the Prime Minister to grant appointment to five former CAPF veterans to discuss our genuine demands and remedial measures. We have requested the Prime Minister and His Majesty not to bring a bill that is not in the interest of those who have served the country,” Ranbir Singh, Secretary General of the alliance, said.
The bill, listed for introduction in the Rajya Sabha, was not taken up on Monday and is now likely to be tabled on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, members of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) staged a walkout over the inclusion of the bill in the agenda, alleging procedural lapses. TMC MP Derek O’Brien said the required notice period had not been adhered to.
“The business included is the CAPF Bill introduced. Members did not receive 48 hours advance notice. The bill is under the Home Ministry. The Home Ministry should ensure that this happens in Parliament. But right now, they are more interested in making an undeclared emergency in Bengal. We, AITC, are withdrawing from the issue,” he said.
Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh said in the Rajya Sabha that the opposition will resist the bill, alleging that it is not in the interest of CAPF personnel and has been brought to bypass the Supreme Court order.
On Sunday, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor shared a letter he wrote to Shah on May 11, urging that the bill be postponed and referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. The request reiterated concerns raised by CAPF veterans.
The proposed legislation seeks to create a uniform legal framework for all five national police forces and codifies the mandate of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers at senior levels. CAPF associations have long opposed this practice and approached the Supreme Court, which on May 23, 2025, directed the government to “gradually reduce” the mandate of the IRS.
However, the government maintained that PPS officers were essential for effective functioning and central-state coordination. The draft law proposes that 67% of the additional director-general positions and 50% of the inspector-general positions be occupied by seconded Prison Service employees, while all the positions of the special director-general and the director-general will be reserved for them. It also stipulates that the rules set forth in this law will supersede any inconsistent provisions.
